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tracking daily step counts

Should 10k Steps a Day Be the Goal?

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If you are a smart watch/phone user, I’m sure you’ve heard it somewhere before that you should be aiming to get 10,000 steps each day for optimal health. As the trend for wearable fitness devices increases, adding more and more features on each one, so does the fascination with daily step counts. It’s easy to see why. It’s a form of physical activity that is simple enough to measure and results are shown in real time. Just throw on your watch and periodically throughout the day you can get instant feedback to just how active you are. Not to mention many of these devices can even send you reminders to stand or become more active if you’ve been sitting for an extended amount of time. 

 

But where does this idea of 10,000 come from? What’s so magical about that number? Let’s talk about where that originated from. In 1964 after the Tokyo Olympics, a Japanese company (Yamasa Corporation) created a new step-tracker. At the time surrounding the Olympics there was an increased focus on physical fitness in Japanese culture. The pedometer was named Manpo-Kei which is translated as “10,000 step meter”. This soon became the benchmark and was used in their marketing campaign to promote increased physical activity. 

 

So if there is no scientific data promoting 10,000 steps/day, what should you aim for?  The answer to that depends on your current state of health and what is most important to you.

 

Recent studies have shown us that general health benefits tend to increase alongside an increase in step count until about 7,500 steps/day. This showed for most people averaging over 7,500 steps/day did not have any greater health outcomes. One study showed that just by increasing your daily step count from under 3,000 steps/day to over 4,000 steps/day was associated with a 41% reduction in mortality rates. So even increasing by a little can have a huge effect on your health. If you are elderly or suffer from bone loss or thinning, this can make a huge different on frailty as well. 

 

When it comes to Heart Disease and Metabolic disease, individuals who average less than 5,000 steps/day are shown to be at highest risk. These reports also showed greatest benefits around 7,500 steps/day. If you fall into this category of people, your personal goal may be more like 5,000-7,500 to decrease your risk for developing heart disease complications.

 

Reports looking at Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Impaired Fasting Glucose showed that increasing by 2,000 steps/day above starting baseline is associate with greater insulin sensitivity, lower waist-to-hip ratios, and lower overall BMI. Also, each additional 2,000 steps were associated with 6% lower risk of progression to diabetes over 5 year follow-up. This is just another argument for how making small changes from wherever you are currently can make a big impact. 

 

This leads us into those who are looking to see changes in body composition or weight loss. Those reports tend to show the higher steps counts of 7,500 – 9,500 steps/day to be most optimal. As weight loss is of the most popular goals when it comes to health and fitness, perhaps this is another reason many people have the rule of 10,000 on their minds. 

 

In conclusion, more is better. It does appear most individuals see near maximal benefits at around 6,000-8,000 steps/day. 10,000 is great if you are already easily achieving that, but if you are not, starting with a lower number can still be beneficial. Even increasing your daily step count by just 1,000 can impart additional health benefits, especially for sedentary individuals.

 

It’s easy to get fixated on one particular number and think that if you are not getting 10,000 steps/day that you aren’t seeing any health benefits, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

For most, 30 minutes of moderate pace walking is equivalent to 2,500-3,000 steps. If you’re looking for an easy way to increase your activity levels, consider carving out some time for a nice 30min walk outdoors. 

covid and physical activity

Walking Away from the Pandemic – Is Physical Activity the Longterm Solution?

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It has been over 2 years since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and we are learning that this disease is here stay for the foreseeable future. 

 

Since the outbreak first started in 2020, scientists and researchers across the globe have been feverishly gathering data on what factors put you at high risk for hospitalizations, ICU stays and death. This includes sports medicine professionals, exercise physiologists and researchers.

 

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting for the American College of Sports Medicine and I listened to a great lecture on how physical activity has factored into Covid-19 outcomes. 

 

Here’s what we’ve known for a while – meeting physical activity guidelines is associated with lowering the risk for severe chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, obesity, cancer, etc. By “meeting guidelines” we are referring to the US Physical Activity (PA) Guidelines that call for all adults to engage in at least 150 min/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

 

But how does consistently exercising affect Covid outcomes? Well, we know regular physical activity also improves immune function and reduces the risk of systemic inflammation, which is a main contributor to lung damage caused by Covid. Additionally, exercise improves cardiovascular health, increases lung capacity, muscle strength and improves mental health. All areas that Covid is known to wreak havoc on.

 

Sports medicine researchers had hypothesized early in the pandemic that individuals who regularly meet the PA guidelines had better outcomes when it came to the disease. Here is just some of the data that we have learned over the past two years.

 

A Meta-analysis of over 50 studies showed that for individuals meeting the above-mentioned PA guidelines, their risk of contracting Covid through community spread decreased by 31%, and they were 37% less likely to die from Covid. They also showed that for those that were vaccinated, regular exercisers resulted in higher antibody concentrations versus those who did not. 

 

Another study of almost 50,000 adults who had COVID in 2021 found that sedentary Covid patients were twice as likely to be hospitalized and be admitted to ICU, and 2.5 times more likely to die than patients who were meeting PA guidelines.

 

In fact, other than age and a history of organ transplant, being consistently inactive resulted in the highest odds for hospitalizations. These odds were higher than if you had Diabetes, Hypertension, elevated BMI, Kidney disease, Cancer or were a smoker. For the majority, exercising 150min per week at a moderate to vigorous intensity resulted in the chance of ending up in the hospital for Covid around 3% and risk for death at less than 1%.  

 

Some of you might be reading this thinking that you would like to be active, but you don’t trust the cleanliness at the gym. Another study was performed looking at 2,877 gyms in the US with just over 49 million visits. They found that the risk of getting Covid in the gym was 1 in 42,731 (0.0023%). The risk was probably always much higher at Costco and Safeway…let’s be real.

 

So why aren’t we hearing about this all over the news? Why aren’t people shouting from the rooftops that becoming physically active is one of the most important things that you can do to protect yourself against Covid? In February of 2022 the CDC quietly added these findings on their website without any big announcements or fanfare. If any of the possible Covid-19 treatment medications had HALF of the effect that meeting PA guidelines does on Covid outcomes, it would be breaking news across the globe. 

 

I don’t have the answer for that. The best I can do is to offer the science and share this message to as many people as I can. 

 

So from my rooftop to yours, go get active! It could quite possibly save your life. 

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The Power of Combining Fitness, Yoga & Nutrition

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How can yoga, nutrition and exercise benefit you? There are countless health benefits just by focusing on these three habits weekly.

With yoga; you still your mind & body – leading you to strength and flexibility both physically and mentally. The more you stretch, the better you will feel. Adding mindful breathing and meditation will help manage stressors in your life and help you with determination to keep your good habits in check!

You are truly what you eat. When you bring awareness to what you are eating and how much, you can start to make positive changes to your eating style. It’s not about perfection, it’s about eating foods that will fuel your body.

Exercise helps to boost your energy and your mood among many other benefits. It doesn’t have to be a ‘killer’ workout each time. Just pumping the blood to exercise your heart and strengthen your muscles will lead to ease in everyday tasks.

All of these things are easy to do or not to do but we all know our health will improve if we apply them. For most of us, we need help and guidance when making lifestyle changes.

That is why we created our Shape-Up and Shape-Up Plus programs. We are here to guide you through making changes in these three areas to maximize your ability to lose weight and feel better. We will be there every step of the way along with other like-minded individuals wanting to focus on bettering their health. If you are interested in taking that step towards a happier healthier life, check out our programs.

 

physical activity and cardio

Cardio vs. Physical Activity

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Have you ever wondered if the activity that you are doing each day is counted as cardio? Ever heard someone say “Well that’s my exercise for the day” after walking up a long flight of stairs? You might wonder whether some of the tasks you are doing actually count towards exercise or not. ⁠
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There are two simple ways to determine if something is cardio exercise or just general physical activity: Intensity and Time.⁠
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Let’s talk intensity first. In order to for an activity to have an effect on your cardiovascular system, it must require a moderate to vigorous amount of effort. So how do you know if the activity is challenging enough? A simple way to gauge intensity is how out of breath you feel while doing it. Cardio activity should leave you at least slightly out of breath. If you are doing something very intense you might feel very out of breath. Some other signs you are working at a moderate to high intensity is your body temperature increasing, blood pressure increases and you may even perspire. Another popular test is the “talk test” or “sing test”. Talking while exercise is fine, but if you could carry on a conversation for hours while doing the activity, it’s probably physical activity and not cardio. If you can sing while doing it, it’s highly likely to fall more under the guidelines of physical activity.⁠
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The second determining factor is time. In order for anything to count towards cardio exercise, you must be doing it continuously for at least 10min. Anything less than that is not enough time to stimulate a cardiovascular response. So although climbing those flight of stairs may have felt really intense at the time, if it took you less than 10min it is still just physical activity, not cardio.⁠
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Both physical activity and cardio are important parts of our overall health and we need to make sure that we incorporate both into our weekly routine! =)

cardio interval training

Steady State vs. Interval Training: Cardio Exercise Explained

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Steady-state v. Interval training. Have you heard these cardio terms thrown about in the gym or online? What’s the difference? Which is better? Let’s talk about it.

 

Steady-state refers to cardiovascular exercise where the effort or intensity is maintained throughout the duration of the session. An example of this might be going for a walk or run and keeping the same pace for a certain time or distance. Steady state cardio is excellent for those who are new to exercise and need to work on building time and tolerance. Effort levels (Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) & Heart Rate) are generally moderate and feel manageable throughout the entire session. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults should aim to get 150 minutes per week of moderate steady-state cardio exercise to enhance heart health and closer to 300 minutes per week if weight loss is a goal.⁠
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During cardio interval training, the effort levels change dramatically throughout the session. There are short bursts of time where the intensity is very high followed by a period where the intensity is very light. Very little time is spent in the moderate training zone. Usually, these bouts of high and low intensity are programmed for a certain ratio. For example, a 1:2 ratio interval would mean that the light intensity recovery period would be twice the length of time as the interval. These lengths of time can vary anywhere between 10 seconds to a few minutes. Because this type of cardio requires a person to work at such high intensities, it is recommended for someone who is more intermediate or advanced in their training. An additional benefit to these more vigorous training sessions is the recommendation is shorter: 75-100min/week with sessions lasting less than 30 minutes. ⁠
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Both types of cardio are important and have a place in an effective training program. If you are brand new, it is best to focus first on developing a consistent steady-state cardio routine and allow your body to adjust. Once this foundation has been established, it is a great time to start to incorporate interval training. Start by just switching one cardio session to an interval session and slowly start incorporating more days and see how you feel. ⁠

 

Still have questions on where to start or how to incorporate interval training when the time is right? In my 4-week Fitness Jumpstart program I walk you through the basics of developing a solid steady-state cardio foundation and then incorporating interval training. 

Click on this link to learn more

healthy habits - perfection vs. consistency

Consistency over Perfection

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We see this all the time. The “all-or-nothing” mindset when it comes to nutrition and exercise goals. We tell ourselves that if we are not perfect, if every meal isn’t 100% healthy, if we don’t exercise 7 days/week or if we have one bad day that it isn’t worth it, and we have failed. ⁠
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This is the mindset for why extreme diets and fitness trends are so popular. People assume that if it’s extreme it will yield extreme (and quick) results. The problem is this sets us up for failure when we cannot sustain it long term. Moderate behavior and lifestyle change may seem “boring” but in the end it is the most effective way to see progress and keep those results long-term. ⁠
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When it comes to exercise, start slow and incorporate more general movement or even more time standing. If adding workouts is your goal, start with just 2-3x/week and do that until you can go weeks without missing those days, then talk about increasing frequency. When it comes to eating, think about one meal you can commit to consisting of whole foods without added sugars or processed food. Once you have a handle on that, maybe try changing a second meal, and then a snack. ⁠
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Most of the time, exercise and nutrition goals are a lifetime commitment, so don’t be surprised when you have “bad days”. It’s normal and it’s going to happen….more than once! What’s important is to recognize that one bad day won’t hurt long term success unless that one bad day causes you to quit.

Are you still needing help with getting started on a plan for your fitness and nutrition? I’d love to help you! I developed a 4-week Fitness and Nutrition jumpstart program that is designed to set you up for success and give you all the tools you need to be successful with losing weight long-term and keeping it off. My approach is all about balance, you will never hear me say that you can’t eat a cookie or have a glass of wine or take a rest day. If you are interested in learning more, check out this link

F.I.T.T Principle

The FIIT Principle: The Secret Power of Exercise Prescription

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Lily Pentlin
ACSM Exercise Physiologist, ACE Health Coach

 

The F.I.T.T principle is a guideline for coming up with a well-rounded, efficient workout plan for both cardiovascular and strength training. Most fitness professionals will use this format to program their client’s individual exercise programs based on their ability level and goals.

Here is the breakdown of what the F.I.T.T principle stands for:

Frequency: The number of days per week are you engaging in that particular type of exercise. Cardio recommendations usually range from 3-7 days per week based on intensity, and strength recommendations can be anywhere from 2-6 days/week based on personal goals.

Intensity: How hard you are working. With cardio this could translate to heart rate, perceived exertion, speed, power, and a handful of other factors. With strength training we’re usually referring to total volume of weight lifted (reps x sets x resistance used). Intensity is something personal to each individual and their current level of fitness.

Time: How long are you spending doing that exercise. For cardio we focus on minutes or sometimes distance. For moderate cardio exercise the goal is generally 150min/week. For vigorous cardio the goal lowers to 75min/week. When we talk about strength training, we are referring to sets x reps with rest time factored in. For someone starting out even 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps can be effective.

But on this note, beginners might take longer to complete their workouts due to unfamiliarity with the movements, whereas someone more advanced could complete the same workout in a shorter period. However, a trainer might choose to program a shorter work out for someone brand new and a longer workout for someone that is more advanced.

Type: This refers to what exactly you are doing in the workout. Cardio examples include indoor/outdoor walking, running, cycling, swimming, elliptical or a handful of other modalities. For strength training this could be using bands, dumbbells, machines, bodyweight, kettlebells or any other form of resistance. Trainers will program this based on availability to the client as well as preference and current fitness status.

Now here’s the secret…you can progress or regress any fitness program by changing just one of these principles. Here’s an example: Say you feel like you are needing to kick it up a notch, but you can’t commit to any more days or time – try working with a greater intensity. Grab a heavier pair of weights or add some speed to your cardio. You will see progress without needing to extend frequency or duration. A regression example might be somehow who is just starting out and feels like they need to take it slower can decrease the number of days they exercise from 4 to 2-3. This decrease in frequency allows for more rest/recovery time while the body adjusts.

Each of my Fitness programs are created with a specific F.I.T.T principle in mind. If you are new to exercise, I highly suggest starting with my 4-week Fitness Jumpstart. It’s a great way to learn the fundamentals of strength training and cardio with my help and guidance the entire time!

Check out this link to learn more